Running rope lubricator



' 1 Filed Feb. 21, 1945 Ma 24, 1949. KI 2,471,036

RUNNING ROPE LUBRICATOR 2 Shets-Sheet 1 INVENTORZ 14 5545) A. Jaw/N5,

May 24, 1 949. J l s Q 2,471,036

RUNNING ROPE LUBRICATOR Filed Feb. 21, 1945 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTORZ,

Patented May 24, 1949 Wesley R. Jenkins, Whiting, Ind.; assignor=. to

Carnegie-Illinois Steel Corporation, a corp'or tion of New Jersey Application February 21, 1945, SeriaELNo:-lihfll9 3 -Claims.

This invention-is concerned-with the problem of lubricating a running rope, particular-lya wire rope, the object being-to provide a means for lubricating such a rope without stopping its running and without :"lnvolving the inefficiency and hazard incidental to the manual application of a lubricant.

The accompanying drawings illustrate a specific exampleof the invention in a combination eflecting lubrication of the rope powering the skip of an iron smelting blast furnace skip hoist, this combination eliminating the inefiicien'cy and hazard formerly connected with the manual lubrica'tio'n oi-this running rope. The various .figures are as follows: Y

Figure 1 shows aside view-of this example includingonly the pertinentparts of the furnace and hoist;

Figure 2 shows an enlarged side view of the novel portion of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a partly sectioned top view of Figure 2; and

Figure 4 is an enlarged section taken from Figure 2 as shown there by the line IV--IV.

More specifically, these drawings show the blast furnace top platform I, the upper portion of the skip hoist incline 2 and the skip hoist rope 3 which powers the skip and runs over the sheave 4 at the skip hoist top, all of which is familiar to those who know about blast furnaces. platform I is high above the ground and is a hazardous place to work, particularly since it is on top of the blast furnace, and heretofore lubrication of the rope 3 has required that a workman stand on the platform I and manually apply the lubricant to the rope 3 with the inefficiency attendant all manual work.

According to this invention, a retractable mount 5 is positioned near the skip hoist top and mounts a sheave wheel 6 for its peripheral tangential contact with the rope 3 and for its re.. traction therefrom, means being provided for supplying lubricant to the periphery of this wheel 6 and other means being provided for operating the mount 5 from near the skip hoist bottom during skip hoist operation to effect the described contact and retraction of the wheel respecting the rope. This arrangement provides for lubrication of the running rope 3 whenever this is required by causing the wheel to contact the rope, and this can be done without stopping the operation of the skip hoist and without necessitating anyone climbing to the platform I of the blast furnace. The lubricant is efliciently applied to the rope and no hazard is involved.

The top The mount 5 comprises .lzx'oriz'nn'tall-y; spaced lever arms fl-journaledcfiorifree verticalaswinging on a horizontal'stia'ftiagthi's shaft aiheingwkeyed to a lever :blockil workinglverticallyabetweentthe arm's-Pl and havingslsiorizcnta'liyiand arigidlwprcjectingpinslo riding arcuate slctsi'lril if'ormed 'in the sides :of thexarms 3i fast/heir common'iaxis'; the shart fi being itsel'i journaled to the skip. :hoist'zn'a'meator .free rotative move- .ment' and provided witmanzroperatingi lever :12

werkerl'verticallyiby arope I3 going: down to the skip hoist bottom; With this arrangementppuning on ithe rope -4 8 ".lpulls down on the lever 1 l 2 which tur-ns the shaft s-sbias to H block 9 which, through the operation of its pin 0 working to the upper limits of theslots" l-l the arms l, lifts the armsl and' ttmews -the wheei 6 clear from'the'ropewRlease oi lihe rop J3 perm'its the wheel "8 to fallintb contaot -with the rope -3, its: connection he shaft fl through the medi-u m' vof the pins i4 0 preieenng rmm the block 3 and working in the slots "l l i'rftl'ie arms l pro viding a lost-motion connection permitting the wheel 6 to rise and fall with the working of the running rope 3, by reason of the permissible rise and fall of the arms 1 within the limits of slots II and pins l0, whereby the wheel 6 always contacts the rope 3.

The wheel 6 is journaled on an axle l4 nonrotatively positioned by the arms 1 by means of keeper plates 15 attached to the arms I by cap screws l6 and engaging recesses in the sides of the axle Hi. This axle M has an axially extending duct l1 opening at one of its ends where it is provided with a lubricant supply line connection l8, this axle also having at least one radially extending duct l9 opening at its side between its ends and communicating with the axially extending duct H. The wheel 6, that is rotatively journaled by this axle l4 has a circumferentially grooved periphery 60. for engaging the rope 3 and l is provided with a number of radially extending ducts 20 opening inside the grooved periphery ea and also opening to the axle-side-opening of the radially extending duct IS in the axle I' l during rotation of the wheel 6 thereon. The wheel rides the axle on longitudinally spaced plain bearings 2! and its central inside portion is provided with a circumferential recess 22 which registers with the previously mentioned opening of the duct it, the bearings being spaced at the recess. The axle has other axially extending ducts 23 leading to the sliding surfaces of the axle I4 and bearings 2| by way of radially extending ducts 24 in the axle, these ducts 23 opening at the opposite end of the axle I 4 from the connection 18 and bein provided with lubricant-pressure-gun fittings 25.

The above described assembly provides the means for furnishing the periphery of the wheel 6 with lubricant, the lubricant being introduced under pressure through a flexible line to the connection I8, flowing through the duct [1 and duct l9 to the circumferential recess 22 from which it flows through the ducts-20 to the grooved periphery 6a. This lubricant may be a special lubricant particularly designed for use on the rope 3, it being excluded from the sliding surfaces between the bearings 2| and the axle M by means of seals 26 which are on either side of the recess 22 between it and the inner ends of the spaced bearings. The provision of the ducts 23 and 24 permits the sending of a separate lubricant to the bearing surfaces of the axle I4 and bearings 2|, which is especially designed for use there, the seals 26 also functioning to confine this lubricant to where it belongs.

Although not previously mentioned, a blast furnace skip hoist is sometimes provided with dual ropes arrangedclose together, it being for such a reason that the grooved periphery 6a is shaped as illustrated. However, the same principles would apply when a. single rope is involved excepting that the contour would be different in an obvious manner. Also, there is usually a pair of skip hoists arranged in parallel relation for each blast furnace, and in such instances the wheel assembly that has been disclosed herein may be used in multiple as required, it being pos sible to use the same shaft 8 to mount the other wheel assembly.

Undue loss of the lubricant is prevented by a shield or fender 21 which is arranged to closely embrace the periphery and sides of the wheel 6 excepting for that portion which must be exposed to work on the rope 3. This shield is carried by the arms 1 so as to move synchronously with swinging of the wheel.

I claim:

1. In a running rope lubricator including a shaft journaled in spaced bearings, a pair of lever arms spaced along said shaft and rotatable thereon, an axle extending between said arms, and a sheave wheel journaled on said axle, said axle and wheel having lubricant-supply passages therein, the improvement comprising a lost-motion connection between the shaft'and said levers including a member rigid with said shaft and engageable with the levers, whereby the wheel when in engagement with the rope, is free to float and accommodate itself to movements of the rope transversely of its direction of travel.

2. Apparatus as defined by claim 1 characterized by said member having a pin-and-slot connection with at least one of said levers.

3. Apparatus as defined by claim 1 characterized by said levers having slots therein intermediate their ends, said member being a block between said levers having pins projecting into said slots.

WESLEY R. JENKINS.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 696,129 Baker Mar. 25, 1902 721,956 Koelkebeck Mar. 3, 1903 1,757,539 Minor May 6, 1930 2,308,872 Foster Jan. 19, 1943 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 193,950 Great Britain Feb. 28, 1923 

